Port Charles is set to get a real blast from the past: Réal Andrews is reportedly stepping back into the shoes of his General Hospital character, Marcus Taggert, starting Friday, January 17.
Details on Andrews' return are scarce, including how long he'll be back on the canvas. But many fans will welcome the return of Marcus, who first appeared in Port Charles in 1996 and stuck around as a PC police department detective until 2003.
For those who may not remember the character's history, Marcus was a troubled kid in Brooklyn who was taken under the wing of a kind police officer named Deke -- who happened to be Sonny's (Maurice Benard) stepfather. Under the care and guidance of Deke, Marcus turned his life around and became a policeman himself. He was devastated when his mentor was shot down in an alley and was determined to get revenge on the alleged murderer -- Sonny Corinthos. Marcus moved to Port Charles and, after getting a job on the PCPD, proceeded to persecute and harass Sonny every chance he got.
In addition to his work on GH, Andrews played Hal Michaels on Days of our Lives, Walker Daniels on As the World Turns, and Agent Trumball on All My Children. He also works as a motivational speaker and a fitness trainer, with his athletic experience including training for the 1984 Olympics team as a sprinter (a hamstring injury prevented him from competing) and twice finishing the Hawaii Ironman.
As Soap Central previously reported, Andrews recently had cancer surgery. He also revealed in September that he became addicted to opioids and alcohol after having three hip surgeries that caused him chronic pain, which led to him entering Alcoholics Anonymous and later being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His GH costar Benard has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which was explored on GH with a story in which Sonny received the same diagnosis. Time will tell whether or not the ABC soap opera will incorporate bipolar disorder into Marcus' upcoming Port Charles journey, as well.
What do you think about Réal Andrews returning to GH? What would you like to see for the character's reintroduction to the canvas? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
